The South African Kruger National Park has shared pictures of lions at the reserve taking a nap on the road as citizens go into a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.
The scene of the lions napping on the road is rare in the park, according to officials.
The Kruger National Park said “This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see.”
“This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp,” the Park said on Wednesday.
The park spokesman Isaac Phaahla told CNN in a separate interview that “Lying on the road during the daytime is unusual because under normal circumstances there would be traffic and that pushes them into the bush.”
Phaahla added that the animals “just occupy places that they would normally shun when there are tourists.
People should remember that KNP is still a largely wild area and in the absence of humans, wildlife is more active.”
Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see. #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
?Section Ranger Richard Sowry pic.twitter.com/jFUBAWvmsA— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) April 15, 2020
Lockdown in South Africa
South Africa is one of the African countries with high coronavirus cases, exceeding 3,000.
As at today the number of confirmed #Covid_19 cases are 3034.
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) April 18, 2020
President President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day lockdown which has now been extended to the end of April.
Ramaphosa said on April 8 while announcing the extension of the lockdown period that “We cannot relax and we cannot be complacent”.
He said “If we end the lockdown too abruptly, we risk reversing the gains we have made in the last few weeks.”
The President appealed for calm saying the government will use the next period of the lockdown to wrap up healthcare efforts.
Ramaphosa says our immediate priority is to slow down the spread of the virus and to “prevent a massive loss of life”.
He says, however, that the government must also make sure that the economy stays afloat and people do not go hungry.
Source: Africafeeds.com
